Incredulity
by HunterofArtemis32
Summary: Artemis had a hard time believing it, but it was true. Percy Jackson had somehow found a way to belittle her hatred towards the male species. Round 2 for Battle of the Fandoms.


**Hey everyone!**

**I'm so sorry about the lack of updates, but I was busy all last week with VBS (Vacation Bible School) and I've just had no inspiration in the past week to write. Green Eyes is still on hold- writer's block is torture- and Lovely Vengeance should be updated within the next week. Thank you for being so patient! **

**Anyways, this is the entry for Round Two of the Battle of the Fandoms. The prompt is Artemis' opinion of Percy either in the Titan's Curse or Last Olympian. I hope you enjoy!**

_He proved her wrong._

Artemis studied the son of Poseidon as he spoke with Annabeth and as the pair shuffled onto the dance floor, ignoring the sharp look from Athena and the gleeful smile on Aphrodite's face. Despite the fact he was a male, she had a high opinion of him. She could tell by his stance that he was born a fighter, and with the determination he's shown in the past few days, Percy Jackson was a good person to have by your side.

Okay, if she was being honest, she hadn't thought that highly of him before.

At first, Artemis didn't appreciate the way Percy treated her hunters, but she had to give him the benefit of the doubt: the demigod didn't know who they were or who _she_ was in fact. So instead of turning him into a jackalope, she asked him to recite everything Dr. Thorn had mentioned (she was also being sympathetic; he just lost his friend). Choosing to hunt a ferocious monster, Artemis places Zoe in charge and leaves.

It didn't turn all that well after that.

She took the sky from Annabeth, knowing she had a higher chance of surviving it. However, Artemis couldn't deny that the daughter of Athena was strong, and she liked that about her. Annabeth was confident and stable and by her actions, she would be an excellent addition to the Hunters. Those thoughts were quickly stashed away when the weight dropped onto her shoulders and all she could think about was pain. _Aching_ pain. Horrifyingly, Artemis came to an unwanted conclusion: she'll be stuck here. Annabeth was too weak to take it again, and no one would offer. But a small trickle of hope slipped into her mind, telling her that help was coming. She prayed that it was soon.

Artemis couldn't do anything when the others came to her and Annabeth's rescue. She watched as Percy's eyes widened to the size of saucers when they landed on Annabeth, all scratched up and weak, and Artemis knew exactly why he had come. She might be the maiden goddess of hunt and moon, but she wasn't blind. Thalia and Luke spattered back and forth before engaging in a battle. Artemis felt beads of sweat on her brow.

Then, without a second thought, Percy ran towards her and knelt down, telling her to move so that he could take the sky. Artemis refused, declaring it was too heavy, but the demigod shook his head. Crawling next to her and placing his hands on the surface, they held it together. Artemis breathed out heavily, inaudibly thanking him. But when he gritted his teeth and pushed her out of the way, fully taking the weight onto his shoulders, Artemis could only stare in awe.

Now, back in the throne room, she realized that Percy Jackson had shown her up.

He proved to be loyal and trustworthy. He was brave and smart in battle. Even if he disobeyed the rules to follow the others, he did it with good intentions. And when she was speaking with her father about selecting a new lieutenant, she saw the worry on his face, the way he looked at Annabeth and whispered to her. He was worried that she would choose to join the Hunters and leave him. Leave any possibilities of something else occurring in the future. Aphrodite would be proud…

So, after the two demigods finished their dance and Annabeth walked off to talk with Thalia, Artemis stood from her throne and walked over to the son of Poseidon. "Percy Jackson," she called.

The demigod turned around and stared at her with a surprised expression. "Lady Artemis," he replied.

"I want to thank you," the goddess smiled faintly. "I know you were mainly focused on saving Annabeth-"

"I-uh-"

Artemis held her hand up to silence his stuttering speech. "But I want to thank you anyways." Her expression softened. "You could have left me there, but instead took the burden yourself. That was an act of heroism."

Percy cleared his throat. "Oh, um, you're welcome, I guess."

"Also, since Zoe thought fondly of you then you must have done something right. Many of my hunters do not talk or even look at a boy unless necessary," she said. "You did well. For a man."

And with that, Artemis stalked off towards her brother, leaving Percy standing with a smile on his face.

**Hope you all enjoyed it! :D**

**-HunterofArtemis32**


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